Continuous-rail joint for railways.



PATENTED DBO. 11, 1906.

P. H. WHOMES. CONTINUOUS RAILYJOINT FOR 'RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.12, 1906.

ZUiinasaeJ:

FRANCIS H. WHOMES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CONTINUOUS-RAIL JOINT FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

Application filed February 12, 1906. $eria1 No. 300,667.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANcIs HERBERT.

WI-IOMES, a citizen of the United States, residin at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Ange es and State of California, have invented a new and useful Continuous-Rail Joint for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

Objects of this invention are to provide a practically continuous track-rail that will do away with the pounding at the ends of the rails, to prevent what are now termed low joints in railway-rails, to accomplish the foregoing objects by means which allow the joint of the rails to be flexible and allow for expansion and contraction.

Another obj ect is to provide means for repairing the tracks now in use in which the ends of, the rails have been battered by means of a single additional piece.

The invention comprises the new joint and the parts thereof hereinafter more particularly set forth.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a view of the invention practically a plied for use. Fig. 2 is a view of the ends 0' two rails constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 3 is a view of a connecting-link detached. Fig. 4 is a crosssection on line :0 m Figs. 1 and 5, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on line 00 90*", Figs. 1 and 4, looking in the direction of the arrow.

1 designates rails provided at their ends with seats 2 in their treads 3.

4 designates a connecting-link comprising a body 5 to fit between the abutting ends of the rails and arms 6 to fit in the seats 2 of the rails. The body 5 is provided with lugs 7 to project laterally from the web 8 of the rail.

9 designates fish-plates engaging the link,

the sh-plates being fastened in the usual way by bolts and nuts 11. The rails may be of any ordinary construction with the exception that they are provided with seats 2 and the fish-plates are also of the ordinary construction excepting that they are provided with holes 10 to seat the lugs 7.

12 designates cross-arms at the top of the body 5' conformed to the head of the rail and resting on the top of the fish-plates so that the link is perfectly interlocked with and supported by the rails and fish-plates.

any well-known manner.

each {provided withholes 10 to seat the lugs 7,

It will be noted from the drawings that the link 4 comprises a T-shaped body, the top of which is formed in a cross, having arms 6 and 12. I regard said link as anoveltyinrailwayjoints and desire to cover the same broadly as a part of a railway-joint.

For convenience of manufacture the seats 2 and the arms 6 are rounded at the bottoms of their ends; but is to be understood that I do not limit the invention to any specific form of construction. The form shown is that which I deem the most desirable; but it may be changed within the judgment of the constructor without departing from the spirit spirit of the invention.

In practice the rails will be laid a distance apart practically equal to the thickness of the body 5. Said body 5 is practically of the same cross-section as the rail down to the point where the lugs 7 project and preferably terminates at the bottom of the lugs. The link will be placed in position after the rails have been laid, and the fish-plates will then be applied to the sides of the rail,the lug 7 extending out through the holes 10. Then the fish-plates will be'fastened in place by the bolts and nuts 11, and the joint is complete. When the wheels roll over the joint, they are sustained by the arms 6 and body 5, said body being sustained by the lugs 7 held by the fish-plates. The tread of the wheel rolls along the arms 6 and across the body 5, so that there is no dan er of any pounding on the ends of the rails, tl ius practically providing a continuous rail for the track and yet allowing perfect freedom for deflection, expansion, and contraction.

The rails and links may be constructed in The seats may be formed in the ends of the rails at any time. At present it is deemed advisable to mill them in after the rails have been laid.

The invention may readily be applied to rails of tracks which have already been laid. Where the ends of rails in use in the track have become battered, the same maybe made as good as new by cutting off the end of the rail and milling the seats, and applying the link with fish-plates in accordance with this invention.

What I claim is'- 1. Rails provided at their ends with seats in their treads, fish-plates for the rails, and a link having arms in the said seats and lugs extending through the fish-plates.

2. Rails provided at their ends with seats in their treads, a link provided with a body between said ends, and with arms in said seats, lugs projecting from said body, and

5 fish-plates having holes to fit sa'idlugs and fastened to said rails.

3. Rails provided-at their ends with seats in their treads, a link providedwith a body between said ends, and with arms in said 10 seats, fish-plates fastened to the: rails, and having holes at their mid-width opposite the space between the ends ofthe rails, and lugs projecting from the body of the link through said holes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 my hand, at Los Angeles, California, this 6th day of February, 1906.

JAMES R. TOWNSEND, T JULIA, TOWNSEND. 

